Cannibal told: 'You'll never be freed'

A real-life Hannibal Lecter who ate the brain of one of his victims has been told he will remain behind bars for the rest of his life.

Triple-killer Peter Bryan, 35, had a bizarre urge to eat human flesh.

After killing his friend Brian Cherry, 43, frying his brains in butter and eating them, Bryan wanted more victims.

The Old Bailey was told he wanted to go on killing and eating people because it gave him a thrill and he felt invincible.

He was sent to Broadmoor special hospital but within two months attacked and killed fellow patient Richard Loudwell, 59.

He said he regretted that he was discovered before he had tasted his flesh.

Dangerous

Sentencing him to two life sentences, Judge Giles Forrester told him he would never be released because he was too dangerous.

Later, the family of Mr Cherry called for the death penalty to be reinstated.

The court was told that the mental health system had let the public down after Bryan was released from Rampton special hospital where he was sent after the manslaughter of a shop assistant in 1993.

Aftab Jafferjee, prosecuting, said: "The last two killings have taken place when the defendant was under the care of the mental health regime which has manifestly failed to protect the public."

Guilty plea

Bryan, originally from east London, pleaded guilty to the manslaughters of Mr Cherry and Mr Loudwell on the grounds of diminished responsibility.

Detective Inspector Simon Creasey, one of the senior Scotland Yard officers in the case, today described Bryan's sentence as "entirely appropriate".

"The fact that Peter Bryan has pleaded guilty to manslaughter has saved the respective families of his victims the trauma of a potentially lengthy court case," he said.

"The judge's decision that Peter Bryan should spend two life sentences in a high-security unit is entirely appropriate in my view, bearing in mind the horrific nature of the crimes he committed.

"My officers and our colleagues from Thames Valley Police worked hard to bring these cases to an appropriate conclusion and ensure that justice was done for the families of Brian Cherry and Richard Laudwell.

"I hope this outcome goes some way to easing the pain of those families. Our thoughts are with them at this difficult time."